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BMW Group mourns the loss of Paul Rosche.

Wed Nov 16 16:36:01 CET 2016 Press Release

One of the most important engineers in the history of the BMW Group has passed away. Paul Rosche, who worked for BMW in various roles between 1957 and 1999, died at the age of 82 in his home town of Munich on Tuesday.

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Munich (DE), 16th November 2016. One of the most important engineers
in the history of the BMW Group has passed away. Paul Rosche, who
worked for BMW in various roles between 1957 and 1999, died at the age
of 82 in his home town of Munich on Tuesday.

“We are all very saddened by this news,” said BMW Motorsport Director
Jens Marquardt. “Paul Rosche not only represented and characterised
the company and the BMW brand with his passion, his vision and his
immense technical expertise over many decades in action on the
racetrack. The results of his work – no matter in which car or in
which series – were frequently milestones of engineering skill. The
loss of Paul Rosche is a loss of an outstanding personality for BMW
Motorsport and BMW M. He constantly redefined the limits of what was
technically possible. We will preserve this spirit at BMW Motorsport.
Our deepest sympathies go to his family and friends.”

Forty two successful years serving BMW.

Camshaft calculations for sports engines was always Paul Rosche’s
favourite area, which is why he was given the nickname ‘Nocken-Paule’.
In 1957, directly after completing his degree, he joined BMW and, over
the course of his 42 years as an employee, he guided the company into
Formula One twice.

Before joining BMW Motorsport GmbH in 1975 as head of the design of
the BMW M1 production and racing engines, Rosche was involved in the
research and development department under the charge of Alexander von
Falkenhausen. In 1969, he designed the 2-litre turbo engine with which
BMW won the European Touring Car Championship.

In 1980, Rosche, as Technical Managing Director of BMW Motorsport
GmbH, along with Dieter Stappert, laid the foundation for BMW’s first
Formula One involvement, and, as head of the engine project, was also
a key factor for the success of the BMW engines in the turbo
era. Rosche and his team turned a four-cylinder production unit
displacing just 1.5 litres into a potential world championship winner.
Sixteen valves, a turbocharger and – in a first for Formula One –
digital motor electronics all helped the engine to post an initial
output of around 800 hp. The Brabham BMW made its grid debut at the
start of the 1982 season; just 630 days later Nelson Piquet scooped
the World Championship. By 1987 the turbo unit had nine grand prix
wins under its belt and its potential seemed almost inexhaustible.
When asked about the F1 engine’s maximum power output, Rosche once
replied in his inimitable, irresistible manner: “It must have been
around 1,400 hp; we don’t know for sure because the dyno didn’t go
beyond 1,280 hp.”

Rosche also had a hand in the BMW M3 and the BMW V12 LMR.

The triumph in Formula One was the most spectacular, but far from a
solitary success spawned by the ideas of the thoroughbred engineer
born in Munich in 1934. Other power units that came out of Rosche’s
fold were the large 2.0-litre four-valve four-cylinder engine, which
racked up more than 150 race wins and six titles in the Formula 2
European Championship, as well as the 6.0-litre V12 engine that won
the Le Mans race in 1995 and 1999. Rosche’s term of office also
witnessed the development of the engine for the first-generation BMW
M3, which was to be the basis of the most successful touring car in
the world, as well as a new kind of driving pleasure on the road.

Following the retirement from Formula One of BMW in 1987, Rosche
continued as Technical Managing Director of the BMW M GmbH until 1996.
Subsequently, as Technical Director and Managing Director of BMW
Motorsport Limited, he led BMW into Formula One as an engine
manufacturer for a second time. In 1999, Rosche entered retirement.

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CO2 emission information.

Fuel consumption figures based on the EU test cycle, may vary depending on the tyre format specified.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures, specific CO2 emission values and the electric power consumption of new passenger cars is included in the guideline "Guideline for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and electric power consumption of new passenger cars", which can be obtained from all dealerships, from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH (DAT), Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen and at http://www.dat.de.

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Fuel consumption figures based on the EU test cycle, may vary depending on the tyre format specified.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures, specific CO2 emission values and the electric power consumption of new passenger cars is included in the guideline "Guideline for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and electric power consumption of new passenger cars", which can be obtained from all dealerships, from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH (DAT), Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen and at http://www.dat.de.